A Book by its Cover
by Lilly Winters
Summary: "If Yuffie believes I am a vampire, who am I to convince her otherwise?" After reading a book, Yuffie begins to suspect Vincent may be a vampire. When she is caught sneaking into the Shinra Mansion and Vincent forms his own revenge, will her suspicions be proved right or has Yuffie bitten off more than she can chew? Sexy Yuffentine! Rated T for suggestive themes and language.


**A/N**

**Oh, my word. I have not uploaded a story onto Fanfiction in nearly a year! Yay! *balloons and streamers* It feels so nice to be back! And what better way to celebrate than with a good 'ole dose of Yuffentine?**

**Here is a late Halloween story! I don't personally celebrate the holiday but I do like the time of year so I thought I would write a little Yuffentine for you :). It's nothing really scary, I mean, it deals with Yuffie believing Vincent is a vampire, but it's more Yuffentine fluff than anything. Have fun and I hope you enjoy!**

**Note: Yuffie is nineteen in this story. I don't care how old she was in the game; in this, she shall be nineteen :3 Also, I apologize for the previous formatting. Fanfiction screwed up the document so the scene breaks (where the story shifts from one place and time to another) were not included. That has been fixed, though, so the story should run a lot smoother.**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Final Fantasy, Yuffie's naughty taste in literature, etc.**

**EDIT: I will be continuing this by adding a second chapter, although, I cannot predict when the update will be as writer's block has stopped by to pay a "lovely" visit, and it has more than over-stayed its welcome. So, as soon as inspiration hits and I am actually able to put my ideas onto paper (or document, I should say) I will update! Thank you for reading and I hope the next chapter will make up for the wait.**

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><p>It was a cold October night. The sky was an abyss of shadows dropping darkness onto the scarce amount of citizens wandering below. At the inn located just at the town entrance, all was silent. Sweaty fingertips picked at the edges of a novel, eagerly waiting to turn the page. With eyes darting from one word to the next, the one reading was not only holding the book but holding her breath. When she finally turned the page, swiftly retracting her knees to her chest, she shrieked and dived for the blankets.<p>

The door immediately swung open, revealing a startled Tifa, fists poised and ready to defend her friend. "Yuffie!" she said. "What's the matter? Are you hurt?"

Yuffie peaked one eye out of the blanket she had been hiding under before her whole face emerged. "What's the matter?" she cried in disbelief. "What's the matter is that the freaky vampire is about to finally get a taste of that poor girl's blood!"

"What're you—?" Tifa titled her head in question before noticing the book lying in a crumpled heap on the ground where Yuffie had tossed it in the midst of fright. Placing a hand on her hip, she said, "You mean all of that commotion was over a scene in a book?"

Yuffie gasped. "This isn't just any book!" She jumped out of bed and pushed the novel into Tifa's hands. "It's the story about a handsome, dark vampire who was stuck in mourning for years and years over the loss of a past lover. Only then, he finds some hot chick and finally moves on from the dead chick, you know, his past lover. But now, he's going all crazy on her because he can't control his lust for blood and in this chapter, he's finally succumb to the great desire of biting his new girlfriend. And they just finished having a very nice night together," she giggled, elbowing Tifa lightly in the side, all the while wiggling her eyebrows suggestively, "if you know what I mean."

During the young ninja's rant, Tifa had taken it upon herself to flip through the pages and skim through the text. A blush crossed her face after reading one particular scene. "O-Oh, wow. Yeah, I see what you mean by a 'nice night together'." _Who knew Yuffie had a kinky side?_ the martial artist thought. She shook her head. "Wait, did you say the vampire was mourning the loss of a past lover?"

"Yeah," Yuffie nodded, "he's all broody and quiet and wears dark clothes. But, boy, Teef, by the way the book describes him, he sounds utterly gorgeous! He sounds like a total piece of eye candy. He sounds like—"

"He sounds like Vincent," Tifa interrupted.

The dreamy smile on Yuffie's face disappeared as she thought. She quickly waved her off, though. "He does not!" she laughed, a blush creeping through her cheeks. "Vincent's a gun-wielding bad-ass with red eyes, sure, and dark clothes and...issues with past lovers" her eyes widened with each word,"...and...and slept in a coffin...and...oh, snap, Teef, you're right! Vincent is a vampire!"

"That's not what I'm saying," Tifa sighed.

The group was currently in Nibelheim. They were spending the night in the local inn while Vincent himself had snuck away to the shadows of the Shinra Mansion. He had yet to return and although Tifa was worried for the silent man, now more than ever she was relieved he was not present as Yuffie's suspicions grew.

"Think about it!" Yuffie said. "Vincent has all these freaky monsters living inside his body. Who's to say he isn't a vampire on top of it? That would definitely explain his odd behavior, how he always wants to be alone. I think we're onto something!"

"I think _you_ are letting your imagination run wild." Tifa handed her the book. "Vincent's had a lot happen to him in the past. Of course he's going to be quiet. Now," she headed for the door, "let's get some sleep while we can."

Yuffie scoffed and dismissed her friend with a wave. "You won't think I'm so crazy when you wake up with Vinnie sucking on your neck. But don't come crying to me," she said in a sing-song voice.

Tifa slid the door shut, only partially silencing the maniacal laughter radiating from the room. "I worry about that girl," she sighed and headed to bed.

All the lights of the inn were off, not a single soul awake at such a late hour, save for the wood creaking as the flight of stairs was descended. Bag in hand, shuriken fastened to her back, Yuffie crept soundlessly through the streets of Nibelheim, avoiding the light and sticking to alleys. She stopped on the outskirts of the infamous Shinra mansion. Many legends had formed from the manor's twisted past, one of the most famous being that of the vampire residing in the basement.

"Now," Yuffie smiled, slipping a camera from her satchel, "to get proof."

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"Vincent, are you in there?" Tifa called, all the while still knocking at the door. In an attempt to peer through the windows, she shielded her eyes but alas, moss and vines had overcome the glass and prevented any wandering eyes from looking in. Minutes had passed with no answer and just when she was about to leave, one of the large doors creaked open. She smiled, yet no one was there. Instead, the door floated on the air, silently bidding her entrance. To respect the man's privacy, she shuffled only mere feet into the foyer.

"Is it time to leave?"

Vincent stood in the shadow of the door, arms folded, The gasp he'd received in response was not unnoticed. A hand to her heart, she laughed. "You startled me. No, Cloud wants to stay one more night before heading out. I just wanted to check on you."

"I am fine." The pair waited in silence. Tifa scratched the floor with her shoe, avoiding his gaze. He lifted an eyebrow. "Is that all?"

Rubbing her arm, she sighed. "Well, there is one other thing..."

They had long abandoned the foyer in favor of the tea room where Vincent was watching Tifa closely, listening to every word. She had told him of Yuffie's theory, about the novel, about everything. Even the part where the girl had snuck into the mansion and snapped photos in hopes of finding evidence. Tifa knew this only because she had caught Yuffie creeping back into the inn, a camera in her hand, and forced the story out into the open. A steady river of steam rose from the spout of the teapot he held as he poured the brunette a glass of hot tea.

"So," he finally said, a sigh accompanying the clink of the china resting on the table, "Yuffie believes me to be a vampire and thus, has been spying on me ever since we arrived in Nibelheim. Is that correct?"

Tifa cringed.

There was no emotion, save for the sigh he breathed. She did not want him to be angry at the young ninja, but any emotion would have been better than nothing. Tifa was well aware that although Vincent never gave much indication to his emotions, the pent up frustrations, agony, confusion, or any emotion for that matter had to come out at some time and that usually happened when he transformed into one of Hojo's many implanted demons festering within his body. She rested the tea cup onto its platter, nodding. "That about sums it up. I don't think she meant any harm, but you know Yuffie. She tends to let her imagination get the better of her."

"Indeed, I do." He tucked his chin within the shadows of his cowl. "Indeed, I do..."

She feared this to be a mistake, yet felt compelled to warn him of the girl's antics. Tifa was not only looking out for him but for the ninja herself. If anything, Tifa was like a big sister to Yuffie and because of this, she felt responsible to steer her away from ideas that would only cause trouble for herself and others.

Vincent chuckled lowly.

Immediately, Tifa glimpsed up at him, unnerved. Vincent never laughed, and the sound of that particular laugh was dark. Before she could question his intentions, though, his eyes began to glow a brighter shade of crimson. The color surpassed that of mere blood-stained orbs and now appeared to be on fire. Tifa rose from the chair and staggered backwards when she noticed his teeth were now daggered tips pressing dangerously against his lips. Even the claws of his gauntlet appeared sharper.

"Vincent—!"

"Fear not, Tifa," he said before adding with a purr to his voice, "After all, you are not the one I am after."

"W-What do you mean?"

"If Yuffie believes I am a vampire, who am I to convince her otherwise?"

Tifa continued to stare at his teeth. The fear was evident.

"And..." she said quietly, pointing at his fangs, "what about those?"

"As you are well aware," he explained with a grimace, "I have many beasts sharing my body. However, I will use their abilities to my advantage tonight." He went on to explain that he had allowed Chaos to emerge just enough that his appearance was influenced by that of the demon's, which explained the fangs and glowing eyes. As he spoke, Tifa could not help but to pity the young ninja who Vincent had set as his main target. She knew that Vincent was typically a quiet man who kept to himself. He had grown accustomed to the jokes and comments directed at him due to his appearance and abilities but now, he was fighting back. The fact that he was even taking not only the time to form such a plan, but to actually speak to Tifa and explain his motivations and reasons, was, to say the least, surprising.

And even more surprising was that Tifa did not try to convince him otherwise.

Maybe this is exactly what Yuffie needed.

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Halloween night.

There lurked a blinding fog in the air which housed ugly shadows and twisted sounds. Perfect for a chilling tale to become unraveled. The silhouette of a young woman stood outside the Shinra Mansion. Tonight was the last night AVALANCHE would remain in Nibelheim. If she was to unearth any evidence that Vincent was indeed a vampire, Yuffie knew this was her last chance. Eagerly, she slipped through the front gate encircling the estate like a prison wall and walked inside. All was as it had been the previous night.

Without a sound, she crossed the room, eyes focused on every step. Her legs sashayed around the furniture antiqued through time. Every skill she had acquired through years of disciplining the art of ninjutsu came into play. She was too focused, too consumed on the task at hand that she did not notice the pair of glowing crimson eyes settled upon her small frame. In fact, she walked directly passed him, mistaking his unmoving form for that of a statue standing guard at the window. The room was too dark to make out any details. He followed her out of the library and upstairs, creeping silently, moving as would a shadow.

Fingers peeling the door open, Yuffie poked her head into the master bedroom. It was empty. The only sign of movement was the flickering dance of the many candles residing on the bureaus and night stands. She smiled. 'Vinnie must be somewhere else in the house,' she thought. 'Now is the perfect opportunity to find a hiding place and wait until he comes.'

A smirk tugged at the corner of his lips as Vincent watched her tiptoe over to the window, slipping behind the curtains before emerging once more, most likely deciding that hiding place was not good enough. But he grew tired of playing games. The real fun was about to begin.

'The time has come, Yuffie', he thought, 'to discover how much of a monster I truly am.'

Yuffie was in the middle of pulling back the bed skirting when the door squealed, closing shut with a hollow _thump_. She swiveled around, only to be greeted by the dark man clothed in scarlet. At first, she expected him to be livid. After all, she was currently snooping through his personal quarters and so far, she had yet to hear the story of anyone who had survived such an endeavor. Instead, he was emotionless, face angled to the floor, eyes closed as though deep in thought.

"Oh, uh, hi, Vinnie!" she chirped. Her hand absentmindedly waved. "I didn't hear you come in. What are you doing here?"

Eyes still closed, he replied, "I could be asking you the same question."

She rubbed the back of her neck nervously. "Me? I was looking...um...looking...looking for you! That's it. I was looking for you!"

"Beneath the bed?"

"Well, you know, you do have a habit of hiding in odd places." 'Like in a coffin,' she added to herself. She inched closer to the door, inevitably closing the distance between them. "But it looks like I found you, so I'll be leaving now."

Yet as she was just about to reach for the door, he smirked, and she saw this. "Yuffie," he purred. She had never heard him say her name like that. "I'm afraid," he rested his golden gauntlet on the lock before sliding the metal across, effectively latching the door and killing any escape, "I cannot allow that."

"Uh," Yuffie shifted her weight from one foot to the other. "W-What do you mean?"

From her hesitation, fidgeting, and stuttering, her fear was clear. A ghost of a smile crossed his lips and if it weren't for the cloak covering the lower half of his face, Yuffie would have seen his little surprise; to be exact, she would have noticed his fangs.

When he did not answer, she assumed the sudden tone he had acquired was merely his form of joking, if Vincent Valentine had a sense of humor. Yet as she once again tried to open the door, this time, at last, he opened his eyes and she saw just how red they were.

"Whoa! Vince, I think something's wrong with your eyes! They're, like, on fire!"

"That is not all that is," he breathed, "on fire." With the last word spoken, she was finally able to see the fangs gleaming in the candlelight.

"Holy shi—!" Before she could finish, he moved in a blur, faster than her mind could register. In one swift motion, he gathered her wrist with one hand while his gauntlet crept down to her waist, pulling her back against his chest. The scream trapped within her throat refused to budge and she was left speechless. Her body trembled in the hold of her captor to which he smiled.

"Thirty years," he whispered. "Thirty years, I was slumbering in the wooden confines of that coffin. No one disturbed me, therefore, no one knew."

Terrified, she waited eagerly for his tale to end so that she could possibly escape, or better yet, he would let her go. Escape, however, did not seem to be a choice that was happening any time soon. When he did not continue, she mustered the last bit of courage left in her disorientated mind to ask, "K-Knew what?"

Moving his nose to her neck, he nuzzled the hair away so that her skin was visible. "My dear Yuffie. Isn't it obvious? You were right all along."

"I...was?" He nodded. "Um, about what, exactly?"

He chuckled. "About everything." Then, he bared his teeth only to press his fangs against her throat. She whimpered loudly, waiting for what she believed to be the end. When the tunnel with a light at the end did not appear, her mind did a double-take to reassure that she was, indeed, still alive. There was no pain. In fact, he had not bit her, not like she had thought. Instead, he pulled her body closer to his, hot breath trickling down her throat and along her collarbone. His tongue grazed the skin before he nipped lightly, causing her to jump in anticipation.

He breathed deeply before panting, grasping her wrists tighter. "If only you had kept the knowledge of what you discovered about me to yourself. You would have remained safe from harm."

"C-Come on, Vinnie," she said, forcing a laugh, "I didn't mean anything by it. We we're all just messing around. I mean, you don't have to kill me, right? I won't tell anyone. Promise!"

"Kill you?" he hummed thoughtfully. "You believe I would dispose of such a valuable opportunity by taking your life where you stand?" He smiled, pressing her back closer. "That wouldn't be very nice, would it?" He drew a slender finger along the edge of her jaw, sending a wave of shivers through her flesh. "Such fragile innocence..." he sighed. She winced with each syllable he whispered. "Tainted by such broken darkness."

She shook her head fervently, eyes shut, pulse racing. Every fragment of humanity was screaming against his decision to frighten the young woman. After all, she was truly terrified. Holding her trembling form, he realized just how scared she was. The initial reaction was guilt, despair. That perhaps, acting and pretending aside, Yuffie was secretly terrified of him and what he was.

But these thoughts were snapped aside. Not by the fact that for once, he was taking control and defending himself. Not because he decided it was harmless fun. The thoughts of guilt, despair, doubt were all pushed aside as Yuffie accidentally pushed back against his grip in an effort to escape. Legs intertwined with that of her captor's, her hips pressed against his own in heated friction. If this was not awkward enough, the gentlemen within immediately forced him to correct the level of intimacy that was being displayed and in an attempt to add even mere inches of space between the pair, his focus was placed within correcting the unfortunate events. This left ample time for Yuffie to try once more.

All hope of fleeing through the door was banished so the next opening to surface would have to be the window, she figured. Without warning, she jerked forward. This would not have affected Vincent-she was very small against his frame-if it were not for the fact that he, too, was already moving forward. The movement, coupled with hers, caused the pair to stumble forward, landing onto the plush surface of Vincent's bed.

Yuffie panted, legs darting and hands flailing before she paused. Her eyes fell to her chest to find Vincent's hand cradling her breast. Red spread through his face as reality settled about as lightly as a meteor hitting the planet.

"Oh, crap, now he's trying to cop a feel!" she yelled none-too-quietly.

Vincent recoiled, ashamed that such a harmless idea had escalated to such heights. "Yuffie, I meant no-"

"Oh, man," she whined. "You know, this is exactly like my book. And, sure, this is super sexy like my dreams but not when I'm about to be eaten!"

He faltered. "I...beg your pardon?"

She scoffed, before eyes widened. "Oh, snap," she groaned, "did I say that out loud? Nothing! Nothing! I was just reading a book, and there's a vampire who falls in love with some chick, and he's all like 'I want to sleep with you. Let me take your fragile innocence 'cause I'm broken dark-'" She froze. Wait. Those words...they were the very words Vincent had spoken before they fell on the bed. But, what were the odds he would say the book's lines word for word, unless he...

'He read my book!' her mind screamed. 'He must have found out that I thought he was a vampire because of that book I've been reading! Either that, or Tifa ratted me out. That little snitch! Wait, so this is all just a way to get back at me for bugging him?' As thoughts fluttered through her head at the speed of light, Vincent was left to study the ninja. He could not help but to notice the intensity of her heart beating against his chest, the way her fingers wrapped unknowingly around his hands. The flicker of the candles wafting through the air pulsated against her ebony hair, highlighting the soft feathery tresses. Even her eyes were like stormy clouds, powerful yet innocent. But in the midst of his observations, those stormy eyes flickered up to meet glowing crimson irises. 'So, Valentine, you like to play games, eh?' she thought. 'Well, you forget: you're playing with the master."

All at once, any sign of struggle died. No longer did she press with urgency to escape. Instead, she removed her hands from his to trace the edge of her palm against his face, the other playing with the buckles of his cloak. He glimpsed down at the abrupt contact before returning to her face and was startled by what he saw. Lips parted, cheeks flushed, her eyelids rested half-shut seductively.

"Vincent..." she breathed. Her thumb stroked slowly across his bottom lip. "You know what? You're right."

Collecting his senses, he refused to budge and replied with a certain, though fake, smirk. "Am I? And just what, my dear, am I right about?"

"I knew all along that you were...different." Her eyes flickered up to meet his as she put emphasis on the word. A smile finished the sentence. "And I should have kept the secret to myself. So, you're right. I'm a bad girl." Her legs relaxed, inevitably resting his lower half closer to her. His heart picked up, beating violently. Panic descended at the close proximity. "And I _need _to be punished."

Were it not for the low lighting of the room and the shelter his cloak provided, Yuffie would have seen that the gunslinger's face was consumed in mortified scarlet shock. Though from the twitch of the talons of his gauntlet, she had a feeling her plan was working. Tiny hands worked their way up to gather the front of his cloak in a wadded bunch.

"So, punish me."

She pulled him forward, his lips crushing her own. With closed eyes, she could not see his own widen in shock but his surprise did not remain unnoticed. He pressed firmly against her shoulders, ready to move away, yet his touch was hesitant. In fact, he did hesitate, and Vincent Valentine was not known for hesitating. Then again, he wasn't known to be gentle, either, yet the way he touched her, holding her softly as though she was a fragile doll that would shatter at any given moment, forced any predetermined mindsets from her head. Whether shock or pleasure held him in place, their bodies remained as one, the space, although barely existing at all, slowly diminishing with each agonizing, tender second.

The point arrived where they both forgot about the scheme. Any pranks or thoughts of revenge dissolved. They separated, long enough to swallow a gulp of air and stare, perplexed, at the individual before them. Yuffie bit her lip, a sign Vincent was familiar with enough to know she was nervous. She watched as his eyes dropped from her face down to the bed, thoughts running rampant behind blank eyes. Then, when their gazes met once more, they returned as they were moments ago, lips meeting in a force more passionate than before.

'Whoa, wait, what's going on?' Yuffie thought._ ''_This is Vincent. Vincent-I'm broody-and-can-never-touch-another-female-again Valentine. I was just trying to get back at him for messing with me. How did we end up like this?'

Little did she know, Vincent was entangled in a similar web of thoughts. His eyebrows furrowed, though, he never broke contact, his tongue fighting its way into her mouth. She whimpered. He growled. 'This is not right,' he thought. 'Yuffie...she's my opposite. Innocence, darkness, youth and age frozen in time; we are tragedy waiting to happen. Yet I am not leaving. I am not rejecting the act. How...How did we end up like this?'

Their question was never answered, though, when Vincent suddenly jumped, jerking away from the ninja and leaving the bed to stand. She watched in question as he closed his eyes. The fangs once gleaming in the candle light shrank out of view until they returned to normal. When his eyes opened, they were the usual crimson she was familiar with and no longer glowing. 'Ha!' she thought. 'So he was faking it!' Before she could question the man, though, a knock resonated through the room.

"Hey, pale- $$!" Cid's smoke-littered voice hollered through the door. "Open up!"

Vincent ushered Yuffie to hide. She jumped behind the bureau, next to the curtains. He frowned, worried her hiding place would not be good enough. Nonetheless, he unlatched the door and without a moment to spare, Cid burst in, cigarette teetering on the edge of his lips.

"What is it, Cid?" Vincent toned coolly.

"We're looking for the brat. Barret said he saw her heading this way and figured she came to bug you." Right away, he knew Cid was referring to Yuffie. How long, exactly, had she been stalking the mansion? "You seen her anywhere?"

Vincent shook his head. A white lie would save them both a load of embarrassment.

"$#!%," Cid mumbled. He headed for the doorway, waving nonchalantly. "Well, Cloud says we're leaving first thing in the morning so be ready!"

Vincent nodded. The swearing pilot was quickly forgotten as the gunslinger faced the bureau. "Yuffie, he's gone. You may come out."

Silence was his response.

"Yuffie?"

The curtain gusted out, a light breeze sailing through the open window. Leaning against the sill, he scanned the ground below. Footprints marked the dry soil and led away from the mansion. 'She must have escaped when I was talking with Cid,' Vincent figured.

This was a problem. He had hoped to resolve the awkward situation before she left. Their next encounter would only be made that much more uncomfortable. But he found his thoughts peeling away from the delicate situation and the thought of her face, the softness of her lips swelled. He brought a hand to his face, rubbing his eyelids as he laid back on the bed. It was still warm from where she once rested. Face turned, the vibrant heat soaked into his temple and cheekbone, settling into his very core. And perhaps the feeling of the warmth spreading throughout his body was the final sign he feared: this feeling, one he believed to be long dead, was coming back to life, and Yuffie was the one to revive it.

"Yuffie...?" he said her name aloud, speaking to none other than the silence.

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><p><strong>AN**

**Whew! I am very happy with how this turned out. But, what matters is what you thought of it! Constructive criticism is very much appreciated. Please leave a review because I love those little things :D Really, if I knew what made people want to leave reviews, I would be doing it right now. Do you think I should add a sequel chapter or leave it as it is? If you do want another chapter, do you want something fluffy and sweet, or something hot and naughty ;D **

**Thank you so much for reading!**


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